The Road to Eternity
by CommanderDJ
Summary: Commander Shepard visits Liara T'Soni aboard her newly acquired Shadow Broker ship to seek consolation and assurance.


Commander Shepard stopped before the door, hesitating momentarily. He took a deep breath and ran one hand over his face, rubbing his tired eyes. He touched the holographic display overlaid onto the centre of the door, and it flashed green. The door parted at the middle and its two halves slid into the wall, opening the way to the ship's command centre. Its walls and ceiling were made of the same heavy alloy that had made up the hallway he had just come from, and its floor was part solid plate, part grating. Two huge columns stood a small distance from the door on either side, but the eye was instantly drawn to a large holographic screen set against the back wall. The screen was filled with dozens of windows: data feeds, communication logs, and countless other displays that Shepard couldn't make out from here. A lone figure sat in a chair facing away from the door at the desk beneath the screen, busily tapping away at a computer console. As the door opened and he stepped into the room, the figure stood and turned to reveal itself as someone that Shepard recognised as a brilliant asari scientist and, as of recently, the most powerful information broker in the galaxy: Liara T'Soni.

Liara's blue skin tone was characteristic of the asari, but the room's dim light made it look darker than it was. Like all of her species, she featured sculpted folds of skin in place of hair. She was dressed lightly in a white outfit that reflected the light emitted from the displays behind her. She looked at Shepard and smiled. She was so used to seeing him flanked by two of his loyal team members that it was the tiniest bit surprising to see him enter the room alone. _Don't forget that you used to be one of those team members._ It was true. Shepard's command of the battlefield, his awareness of his squad's abilities, and his coordination and tactical mastery were unparalleled. When she had fought alongside him, he always seemed to be in control, and half the time she had obeyed his orders in the thick of battle without knowing why she was doing so. Almost every time, however, those orders were given for a very good reason. Countless times he had yelled for her to use her biotic powers on an enemy she was sure had active shields, yet she would emerge from cover to see the enemy sprawled on the ground or caught in a biotic field set up by an ally; an easy target. Yes, Shepard knew what he was doing.

As Shepard continued to approach her now though, Liara's smile slipped; she thought she noticed something slightly off about him. He wasn't injured, yet he stepped a little too heavily for someone in peak physical condition. His expression wasn't grim or serious, but his eyes appeared unnaturally dulled. Liara was very observant by nature, and her observations told her that something was wrong. Nevertheless, there was no point in bringing it up; not even she could get information out of Commander Shepard that he wasn't willing to divulge. She would simply have to wait.

"Shepard," she greeted him warmly as he reached her. Her voice was silky, and he smiled as she spoke. She had not seen him for weeks, and couldn't help herself. She held out her arms, and they embraced, their lips meeting. There it was again; it seemed that in the midst of their kiss he leaned on her just a little more than he should. They parted, and Shepard looked at the screen behind her, still smiling.

"Shadow Broker," he responded.

Liara bowed her head and shook it lightly, her own smile returning.

"I don't think I'm ready for you to call me that."

"You said that the last time I was here," quipped Shepard, his tone light. He strode towards the console, his eyes moving over the various displays.

"Busy?" he asked.

"Always. There's never a dull moment here... which is partly why I like it."

"I hope you're not pushing yourself too hard."

Liara looked at him quizzically, but Shepard thought he saw the corners of her mouth twitch.

"When have I ever done that?"

"Feron told me he's caught you sleeping at your desk," responded Shepard, calling her bluff.

"Where is he, anyway?"

Liara pushed a few keys on the console. A map of the galaxy appeared on the screen, alongside a huge list of codenames. She selected one, and a marker appeared on the map.

"There. He's following a lead for me."

Shepard crossed his arms.

"Feron's one of your operatives? Is he... ready for that sort of work?"

Liara nodded, understanding his concern. Feron had suffered over two years of captivity and intermittent torture under the previous Shadow Broker. One of Liara's reasons for pursuing the Shadow Broker so relentlessly had been to rescue him.

"He shouldn't be kept cooped up on this ship. Goddess knows he's been here long enough. Besides, it's a low risk mission, and I've got another operative watching his back, just in case."

Shepard nodded his approval and uncrossed his arms. Turning away from her, he walked slowly to one of the ship's windows, looking out onto the violent storms that characterised Hagalaz's volatile atmospheric conditions. A beep sounded at Liara's console, and she turned to it, already rapidly typing. When she had finished, Shepard was still staring out the window, clearly lost in thought. His expression was almost serene, as if the memories he was recalling soothed him.

"What are you thinking about?" Liara prompted.

"Remember back when we were chasing after Saren, right after the original Normandy was grounded?"

Liara chuckled as the memory surfaced.

"Joker interrupted what would have been our first kiss."

Shepard's demeanour vanished as he laughed abruptly. That had obviously not been what was on his mind. Liara's curiosity was piqued.

"What brought it up, Shepard?"

Shepard's smile persisted in his tone for the first few words, then gradually faded away. He continued to stare out at the roiling clouds and flashes of lightning as he spoke.

"At the time, I was frustrated. I didn't know what to do, couldn't see a way out. But you were there for me, Liara. You were there when I needed you the most."

Shepard paused, hesitating. Liara was listening with rapt attention. Shepard turned quickly, and his light blue eyes seemed to close the distance between them and stared deep into her own.

"The Reapers are coming. I don't know how long it will take to defeat them. Hell, I don't know if we _can_ defeat them. We're going to need fleets, armies... but none of that matters to me right now. If I'm going to do this, I need you at my side, Liara."

Shepard bowed his head, and his next words seemed to cost him an insurmountable effort to say.

"I... I couldn't imagine doing this without you."

With that, he turned back around and leaned heavily against the window railing, his gaze still directed at the floor.

For a moment, Liara stood perfectly still. Shepard was not known for depending on others, and he had never allowed pain, death or loss, regardless of how pervasive, to get in his way. She had no doubt that even if she died tomorrow it would not impact his capability. No, Shepard had _chosen_ to let this affect him. Liara knew she had to do something. She went to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Shepard, look at me."

He did so, and she stepped in close, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her eyes were a deep, oceanic blue that reminded him of Earth, and of everything he fought for. Right now those eyes were filled with a fierce determination that belied the uncertainty in his.

"Do you remember what I asked you to promise me when I was last aboard the Normandy?"

Shepard nodded silently, his face solemn. His gaze dropped, but Liara didn't let it.

"Look at me, Shepard," she insisted.

He brought his eyes back up to hers, and they were touched by surprise. Some small part of Liara considered that she may have spoken too forcefully, but she dismissed the thought.

"What did you promise me?" she asked, speaking slowly.

"I promised you that I'll always come back." Shepard's tone was gentle, and Liara tried to match that gentleness in her own words.

"Exactly. Do you think I would ask you to make that promise without knowing that you'd always have something to come back to?"

Shepard paused as if to give the question due thought, but Liara could see that he already knew the answer.

"No."

Liara let go of his shoulders and leaned in for a quick kiss before stepping back and smiling. For a few seconds Shepard's expression didn't change, but then a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Of course. You're right, Liara. Sorry."

Liara laughed, and started walking back to her desk. As she did, she looked back to see that Shepard was once again as he should be. His stance had resumed its strength, his features their confidence. Both of them had a role to play, and now they were ready to play it, for the galaxy, for themselves, for each other... for eternity.


End file.
